The Season Comes 'Round Again -- Castle
by CuffedBunnies
Summary: Last year, Castle was on a mission to help Kate rediscover the magic of the holiday season. This year, she's on a mission to show him how well he succeeded. Sequel to last year's "Spirit of the Season," and partner-piece to lms2457's "The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett"
1. Surprises

**The Season Comes 'Round Again - Castle**

**Disclaimer:** Characters aren't mine. I just do this for fun, and put them back as they were when I'm finished. :)

**Summary:** Last year, Castle was on a mission to help Kate rediscover the magic of the holiday season. This year, she's on a mission to show him how well he succeeded. Sequel to last year's "**Spirit of the Season**," and partner-piece to lms2457's "**The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett**"

_For Li, who was there during this year's best of times and worst of times. :)_

* * *

**Day One - Surprises**

Castle wasn't sure how to feel when he walked back to Kate's desk and she was gone. Not just gone, but her coat and purse were missing as well. It wasn't like her to leave without a word these days.

He had almost, *almost* shrugged it off when he saw the folded piece of paper leaning against his iPad. He snatched the paper and unfolded it, finding the word "Surprises" written in her neat and looped writing.

His heart jumped into his throat, and he was pretty sure there might have been a tear or two that tried to pool in his eyes, but he willed them away. The boys would never let him live it down if they caught him misty-eyed.

Kate had started out this holiday season in the spirit he did last year. Only, he was trying to help her rediscover the joy. What could she have up her sleeve?

He put his iPad in his coat pocket and walked to the elevator. He knew one thing for sure, if Kate was gone, she was where the surprise was. So, he needed to start looking.

The ride down to the lobby was almost too long for him to stand. When the doors finally opened, he burst out of the elevator and quickly made his way out of the building and onto the sidewalk.

But then, Castle stopped. He had no idea where to even begin looking. The card only said "surprise" and it was just a piece of paper, with no markings to lead him anywhere.

"Excuse me, Mr. Castle?"

He knew that voice. That woman. She even conspired with his car service against him. "Hello, Max," he said, and stepped closer to the car, "And I wonder what, or whom, has you waiting out here this evening?"

The younger man smiled, "That will have to remain a mystery, sir." He answered as he opened the door, "However, I am under orders to make sure you come with me. I believe there was a threat of possible dismemberment on your part if you didn't come along willingly."

That definitely sounded like one of Kate's threats. "Then I suppose I have no choice," he said as he ducked into the car, "than to agree to this abduction."

"Thank you, sir," said Max. He shut Castle's door, then walked around to the driver's seat, and pulled into traffic.

"Where are we headed?" Castle asked.

Max smiled and shook his head. "You'll have to wait and see, Mr. Castle."

Kate must have paid the man well. Once they were moving, Castle took out his phone and typed, _Beckett I've been abducted! _

He figured she'd get a kick out of that.

In a few moments, his phone buzzed with her response, _Poor thing_. _How will I find you? Do you have any clues?_

Well, no, he thought, Max isn't speaking to me. He'd definitely have to see about getting this guy a raise. He typed, _No! Which is completely unfair._

Then, her reply came in. _I think you do_.

Oh really?

_At least mine was descriptive. Surprises? That could be anything._

_Start at the beginning,_ she sent back. _This is your last clue until you arrive._

Well that sucked. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and watched the buildings, taking notes in his mind of where they were going. Max made a few blocks here and there, so he was in on keeping Castle confused. Kate obviously had him take advantage of the day's lighter traffic.

Then, he felt the car slow, and saw Rockefeller Center ahead. Almost in the exact same spot he stood about a year ago, stood Kate, smiling.

He would never get enough of her smile.

The car came to a stop, and Max came around to open his door. He saw the two exchange words, and wondered what exactly she had planned.

And... was Kate bouncing on the balls of her feet? She was obviously excited about something, but he wasn't crazy enough to call her out on it. Not so soon, anyway.

He stepped from the car and their eyes met. "I'm having the oddest sense of déjà vu," he said, trying to sound unaffected. "Only seems backwards, somehow."

Kate looked away for just a moment, her lip finding its way between her teeth briefly. "Hmm... I can't imagine why."

He laughed, then stepped over to Max, who was back in the driver's seat. "Keep up the good work," he said, then passed him several bills. He had no idea how much, but it really didn't matter. Max was awesome and deserved every cent.

"Thank you, sir. I'll see you in about three hours," he said, then smiled and rolled the window up as he pulled away.

That was interesting. He wondered what Kate had up her sleeve. He walked back to her, saying, "Well, I know you're up to something – Max just told me he'd see us in about three hours. Where to, Detective?"

She held out her hand and he took it. They moved quickly without much of a throng in the area, though it was a bit thick with tourists, it was nothing like the nearly dangerous crush they had faced last year. He followed her quietly as she led him straight around to the side entrance of Rockefeller Center.

Straight to the gym. "The gym?" Castle asked, totally confused as to what was going on now. "Some sort of subtle hint, Beckett?"

Kate let out a breathless laugh at that. "No, not at all. Most convenient entrance," she said as she made her way quickly to the elevator pulling him along with her fingers wrapped around his.

He was glad to hear that. That definitely would have been a surprise. "That's a relief. I was really hoping you weren't going to try to be one of those bridezilla types."

She shot him a look that told him he needed to be quiet. "Quit while you're ahead there, partner."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and stopped talking for a bit... even if there was a little glimmer in her eye that might not have been irritation.

They threaded their way through the small cafe in front, and Kate guided them toward the host stand near the bar. Castle was amazed at how well she seemed to know her way around the place. He filed that thought away for questioning later.

When they approached the podium, she gave his name, much to his surprise, and maybe a little pride. He knew Kate would never do such a thing unless they would both enjoy their time. Not that he minded at all, really. She could use his name any time. He trusted her more than any other person he'd ever known.

He barely noticed how the girl seemed flustered for just a moment before leading them to their table by the window. It had an awesome view of the massive tree and skating rink below.

Kate looked thoughtful, and maybe a little adorable, the way her brow furrowed. Then, the moment was gone when their waiter arrived and they ordered their meals. Again, Kate surprised him when she offhandedly requested a few cocktail napkins from the bar. As the young man left retrieve them, she dug a pen out of her clutch.

The waiter returned with the napkins, then left to put in their orders. Castle was about to ask what the deal with the napkins was when she handed one to him and the pen. "Sign that," she said quietly.

She... wanted his autograph? Didn't she know by now he would sign anything, _anywhere,_ that she asked? "Pardon?"

Kate rolled her eyes and said, "Come on Castle, don't tell me you can't recognize fangirls unless they're throwing themselves at you. The hostess. You're gonna make her night. Probably the whole week."

"Oh." _Oh._ He looked back to the young woman at the podium. "I noticed I just didn't think." This was rather different. Kate normally ignored the fangirls on the rare occasion that they ran in to one. "I mean, I know you're not wild about drawing attention, and I usually don't make a big production of it if we're -"

"It's not a production, it's a cocktail napkin," she said, sounding a little exasperated. "Sign it. Make the girls day. Besides, it's almost Christmas."

When she raised an eyebrow at him, he quickly bent over the table to scrawl his name on the small white square, muttering, "Kathrine Beckett, I never."

She then reached out and picked up the newly autographed paper square and held onto it until the waiter returned to refill their water glasses.

Kate carefully handed him the small napkin. "Excuse me," she said, "could you make sure that the young lady at the hostess stand gets this?"

"Oh, certainly. Marcy?" The young man looked at the napkin, then smiled. "Oh, she's gonna flip. I mean – yes ma'am, of course."

It was completely amazing, seeing what magic Kate had already made tonight, and this really all just started. He must have had his heart on his sleeve again, by the way she asked, "What?" and tucked her hair behind her ear before she looked away, somewhat defensively.

He leaned forward and spoke softly, keeping this between the two of them. "Nothing. It's just, it's kind of fun watching you play Santa Claus."

She smiled at that and shrugged. "Well, you know," she started, but didn't finish the sentence.

After a moment that may have almost gone too long, he cleared his throat and said, "Amazing view, I see why you picked it."

Kate smiled even more broadly, if that was possible, then cast her eyes toward all the action below, "Well, it's not the VIP section or anything, but it seemed like good place to begin."

Castle wasn't going to let her downplay this at all. "Are you kidding? This is awesome. I don't think I've ever been back here, what made you think of it?"

With a shrug, she said, "I was looking for something that felt right, that held a memory of last year, but made it different, too. I looked around online a little, made reservations."

"It's amazing. You're amazing," he said quietly. He could tell when she turned, by the blush on her cheeks that he'd embarrassed her, so he fell quiet.

Their food came, and they settled in to enjoying the food and the view below. When the time came for dessert, Castle begged off. When Kate raised a eyebrow in question, he shrugged and said, "There's a Ben & Jerry's in here, thought that might be fun."

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed.

It wasn't long before the check came, and she insisted on buying. He really didn't mind, but when she glared, he knew he was on very shaky ground, so he let it go.

"Fine," he relented, "But, I'm buying dessert." And he had a plan that might just blow her mind.

Kate sighed, but agreed. She followed him out, and as they passed the hostess, it wasn't lost on him the breathless "Thank you for coming," from Marcy.

He could only thank Kate for that, and started to say something, but it appeared she was trying not to laugh. So, he let that be. Obviously, there was something he missed, and tonight, it didn't really matter.

* * *

When they reached the Ben and Jerry's, Castle sent her in search of a table in the nearby seating area while he ordered at the shop. The frown she gave him almost made him laugh, but he held it in. He knew that might be the least of his worries here in a few moments.

He made his order and watched as the kid behind the counter assembled the quite-literal monstrosity. This would be awesome, he thought with a smile.

When Castle approached Kate at the table she'd secured near the edge of the open seating area, she gaped at him. "Richard Castle, what did you do?" she asked.

He sat the bucket on the table between them and answered, "I figured we could share."

For a short moment, he thought she might shoot him. "With half the city? There have to be 15 scoops of ice cream in that thing."

Wow. That was a good guess. "Twenty, actually. And cookies and brownies and bananas and - well, everything, really."

"Castle," she sighed. "Why on earth -"

Why did she get caught up on this sort of thing? He did this because it's fun, because well, lots of reasons. "'Cause I could, and it looked like fun. Besides, I got there just before closing, so they got to use up a lot of bits and pieces."

And that eyeroll he knew he'd earned. He nearly didn't hold in the smirk that wanted to stretch across his face. Kate sighed, "Oh, why the hell not? Though, we won't come close to finishing it, and it's still going to take forever to work off."

Castle liked her wording there. He passed her a spoon that seemed entirely too small for the insane concoction, and she chose an area and started digging.

"Sure," he said, as he took a bite of his own, "but that's going to be half the fun, Beckett." He leaned closer and using his bedroom voice, finished, "Working it off."

He didn't miss the flush across her cheeks and he was sure when her foot came in contact with his leg, that it was initially meant to be a kick. However, she was still digging in, like nothing was going on.

He found an area to begin working on, a scoop that looked rich and chocolaty with bits of something mixed in. He took a bite, and the mix of salty and chocolate nearly did him in. "Oh my god, Beckett," he exclaimed suddenly, "You have to try this scoop over here. I think it has potato chip pieces in it!"

Kate groaned, still trying to act like this wasn't the best ice cream sundae she'd ever had, but he could see right through that. If this is how this year's Christmas season was going to start, he couldn't wait to see what would happen tomorrow.

Or the day after that.


	2. Sharing

_For Li, who always has it together better than I._

* * *

**Sharing**

**Dec. 5, 2013**

Castle woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of Kate leaving the room. He vaguely recalled a conversation between them, and hoped he didn't talk about the flying monkeys this time. Or the hoard of thought-stealing squirrels, for that matter.

He looked at the clock, and decided he really should get out of bed and at least try to get the two chapters written before Gina decided to start harassing Kate. And it would be easy today, since Kate would be in the same building. However, he was very thankful his copy editor, Martina, would be helping her out at the Angel Tree she helped set up at Black Pawn. Kate was truly awesome in going along with the idea - she never would cease to amaze him.

With a smile stretching across his face, he slowly dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom. A shower would wake him up enough to make it into the kitchen for coffee, and the coffee would make him think of Kate, which would help inspire him to write.

Funny, how things work out that way.

It would be even better if she was with him, but for now, that would be enough.

Hours had passed, and it seemed it was instantly past lunch. By some miracle, or maybe a blessing from the universe, Castle was finishing up the last of the second chapter. And there was still more coming, so he continued pounding away at the keyboard, fleshing out a third chapter of Nikki and Rook finding their way out of more trouble.

It wasn't long before he was finished, and emailed the file to both Martina and Gina. In an moment, his phone buzzed with a message from Kate. It read, "_Sharing_."

Sharing? What could that mean?

He called Martina to make sure she received the email and see how she and Kate were doing, only to find out she wasn't at the Angel Tree with Kate, due to unexpected circumstances.

Castle brought the call to a quick end, and stood as he shut his laptop down. Kate must have been working the tree by herself this entire time and didn't bother to tell him so he would write.

And "sharing?" That must be some sort of message to him. An odd message, but one all the same.

Well, he was finished now, so he changed clothes and decided to leave early. By the time he got there, she would have about one hour left, and she could at least have help for that time.

Kate was busy adding new angels to the tree when Castle approached the table. She didn't turn, but greeted him as she added the last one from her hand to the tree.

"Hi," he answered. The way she turned and going by the astonished look on her face, she had no idea he was anywhere around.

She came around the table, the love and happiness in her eyes almost knocking him off his feet. Again. Kate kissed him on the cheek and said, "Castle! What are you doing here, I wasn't expecting you for," she checked her dad's watch, "another hour, at least."

He smiled, lightly rubbing his hands over her shoulders as he spoke, "Finished early, emailed the new chapters to Gina, and saw your text. I called Martina to make sure she got the email too, and asked her if you guys were doing okay. She told me that she got stuck in a commitment, and I realized you must be stuck here alone. I figured that was what the text was about, so I caught a cab."

"Oh," she bit her lip, shook her head. He watched her, trying to read what exactly it was he saw in her eyes. "Not what the text was about."

He pulled out his phone and pulled up the text. "It isn't?"

Kate shook her head. "Nope."

What in the world did she mean? His curiosity was growing even more. "What does it mean, then? 'Sharing' isn't all that descriptive, Beckett."

She spun toward the tree. "Thought you could help me pick. I mean, it's always been my little list, but I was thinking. Really, it's about to be our list. I mean, if it's my imaginary little Christmas family, and we're going to be – well – I thought you might want to help pick out this year, that's all."

Oh. Oh, wow.

Castle took a step back and looked at the tree, in near-disbelief. He wasn't sure why he didn't expect this, and he guess that's why he couldn't quite find the words for a time. Kate Beckett was the only woman ever to bring him to a point of being speechless.

He realized he'd been quiet too long, going by the curious look Kate was giving him. He smiled his best smile and said, "I'd be glad. Honored, actually."

She smiled as well. "Good. I was hoping."

Castle gestured to his phone. "So, this is my note, then?"

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Yeah."

Kate was really adorable when she did that. He grinned and wrapped his hands together. "Awesome," he said and made his way toward the tree. "So, two from each age group, boy and a girl each, right?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah, I have these two so far," she said, showing him the ones she'd already pulled from the tree.

"Great," he said looking carefully over the tree. "Let's see," he pulled down one before he turned back to her. "So, how have you been managing by yourself?"

"Oh," she said, looking... he wasn't sure what the emotion was that glanced across her eyes. "I wasn't. Someone volunteered to fill in for Martina but -"

"I was in the bathroom," a familiar voice cut in smoothly.

Castle spun around quickly from where he was standing to face his ex-wife. There was no way he could stop his jaw from dropping.

His ex-wife Gina, and Kate. Working the Angel Tree. Together. This could be the stuff of nightmares.

"Gina," he said, but then he trailed off, once again at a loss for words.

However, she didn't seem angry to see him. "How's the writing going?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Check your email," Castle replied. Obviously she hadn't checked it if she was asking.

Of course, she pulled her phone from her pocket, and made a few quick taps on the screen "Three chapters, and here I thought we'd agreed on two," she said. Her tone could be infuriating, if the circumstances were different.

He shrugged and said, "That's always how these have gone, you know that."

Gina murmured an agreement, then said to Kate, "It's true, you know. One moment I had laid a full on threat at him if he didn't have three chapters to me in the next few days, and two days later I had six. Full manuscript inside of the week. That was Heat Wave."

Kate's eyebrows shot up, and she turned to look at Castle, impressed. He couldn't help but feel proud to be on the receiving end of the look.

Castle shrugged. He guessed after all this time, maybe she still didn't get it. "You didn't think the entire inspiration thing was a lie, did you?"

"Well," she said, drawing it out for effect,"Maybe not the entire thing."

"Mean, Beckett," he groused.

"You'll live. Now help me pick the rest, you big baby," she said with a shake of her head.

Castle turned his attention back to the tree, trying to concentrate on finding more angels and not the fact that his fiance and ex-wife had spent most of the day together. Probably talking about him.

"These are good pages," Gina said, "Did you send these to Martina, too?"

"Of course," Castle said as he set another tag on the pile they were building on the table. "Speaking of, what happened to her?"

"Time sensitive emergency assignment, and I had a clear calendar," Gina said with a shrug.

So, it wasn't like she planned the entire thing. It was just the universe conspiring against him. Sometimes, he figured there was a higher being out there, somewhere, getting a huge kick out of the situations he kept finding himself in.

"Number six," Castle said, as he set the last of the angels he'd picked onto the pile. "No seniors in this batch, but we can check with Lissette if you want. See if she has any."

Kate nodded as she wrote down the last of their choices. Then she scanned the tree one last time. "Oh, Castle, we have to add this one, she wants chapter books."

That's way more than cool. A young reader? He was definitely in for that. "Oh, another trip to the children's section? I'm in."

Kate pulled it down, added it to the others, and recorded it. He looked at Gina as she watched Kate writing the information down.

"That's an impressive list," Gina said over Kate's shoulder.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg. "She can be pretty impressive," Castle said.

Kate turned to him, eyes wide and miming a "cut it out," gesture. His brow furrowed a little. He wondered what that was about.

Gina took a deep breathe, pushing her phone back in her pocket. "You know, Richard, we've worked together a long time. I've seen your work at it's best, and worst. I've seen your crappy, messy first drafts, your struggling, half-hearted rewrites. And I've seen how good it can be when you get it right. And I'm pretty sure this is the best you've ever done."

He heard Gina's words and saw Kate's reaction. Things were getting more awkward the longer he stood here.

"I'm glad you liked the pages," Castle said slowly. There was more going on here than he could decipher at this point. But then, having these two in the same airspace was beginning to make him claustrophobic.

Gina smiled ruefully. "Not what I meant," she said, then looked over to Kate. There was a look exchanged as she said, "Listen, why don't you two take off, I can finish up here for now, and it looks like the two of you have some things to do," she gestured to the pile on the table.

Thankfully, they made quick goodbyes, heading to the curb, where Castle hailed a cab. "So, that was awkward," he offered as she settled in.

Kate shrugged. "At first, but it got better after the beginning, really. We did a little sharing, too."

He wasn't sure if he liked that at all. "We'll, whatever she told you you should probably take with a grain of salt," Castle said slowly.

"You think? I was thinking it was interesting. Of your ex-wives, I never thought Gina would be the one I liked, but I can see why the two of you would work well together." She paused for a beat. "On the books, I mean."

Castle stared at her for a long moment before he answered. "Yeah? Well, I think I've always worked better with you. On everything."

She leaned across the back seat of the cab and claimed his lips with her own. "Damn right," she said happily.

It all still felt weird, but with another kiss from Kate, he started to forget the meeting with her and Gina. They had way better things to think about now, and his fiance - _his best friend -_ to do them with.


	3. Blizzard

**A/N: **Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'll get around to replying to the ones I can soon. Also, another shout-out for y'all to check out the other half of this story by **lms2457**! ;)

_Once again, for my best friend. :)_

* * *

**Blizzard**

**December 6, 2013**

Castle had finally finished writing a few new chapters and editing a couple of others. It felt good, getting this next book successfully underway, and a bit ahead of schedule for now.

He turned on the television, and every channel seemed to have the same weather warning on it. There was a blizzard headed straight for the city.

He checked the time, knowing it was still a few hours until Beckett's shift was over. So, he waited.

At least, for a little while.

Castle found himself pacing back and forth in his office, wanting to call Kate and beg her to come home, but he knew how well that would go over. And besides, she would be leaving soon enough. He just needed to find something to occupy his mind in the meantime.

He looked up and his eyes found the fireplace. S'mores! Oh, and a blanket fort! It had been several years since he'd had to prepare for a blizzard to hit, and those two things were a necessity. He almost tripped over his own feet, as he was in such a hurry going into the closet to gather all the blankets.

It took the better part of an hour and a half to set up the entire fort in front of the screen, including the blanket planetarium, complete with air mattress. He figured Kate would find that pretty awesome. They could almost-literally sleep beneath the stars. In a blizzard. Yeah, this was going to be an awesome time.

Castle checked over the entire thing, making sure all the attachments were good, so he and Kate wouldn't end up on the bottom of a blanket avalanche. He knew she probably wouldn't find that very amusing at all.

It was almost time for her to be off the clock, so he called Ryan. He wanted this to be a little bit of a surprise, and if Kate was busy, she might not answer his call.

When the younger detective answered, Castle smiled and said, "Hey, Ryan. I need you to do something for me."

"Sure Castle, what's up?"

"Write the word "Blizzard" onto a piece of paper and be sure Beckett gets it." There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Ryan? You still there?"

"Dude. You doing the word-thing again this year?"

Castle smiled. Of course Ryan would remember. "Yeah, sorta."

"You two are so cute," he could hear the guy's amusement in his voice. "I guess Jenny and I were that cute before we were married."

"Dude, you and Jenny are still cute. Almost to be point of being sickening."

"Gee thanks, man. Just for that, I'm going to need the Ferrari for a day."

Drat. He knew he should've kept his mouth shut. "Fine. Just be sure Beckett gets the note, _on paper_, and we can work out the Ferrari details later. After the blizzard."

He could hear the smile stretching across Ryan's face. "Awesome. You'll hear from me in a few days."

Castle ended the call. He and Esposito had a thing about his car. He may have to buy an extra just for those two to share. And that was kind of a good idea. He may have to run that one by Beckett to see what she thought of it.

He waited a bit before calling Kate. He knew it would be several minutes before she actually got the note, then, about one minute to get her things together, assuming she decided to leave immediately. About four minutes to get on the elevator, give or take a few if she has to wait... walking through the lobby...

He dialed her number, and she answered almost immediately.

"Hey, Castle," she said.

That was incredibly awesome. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked with a laugh.

Her answer had a ring of sarcasm to it. "I looked at the screen."

There was no way she did that. "You did not. You picked up so fast, there is no way you looked at the screen. The only time you check the number on your phone, Beckett, is when you are deciding whether or not to pick up, and you picked up really -"

"All right, all right," she interrupted, "I didn't look at my phone."

"Then how did you know it was me," Castle asked again. He could tell she was probably rolling her eyes at him.

"Of course I knew that it was you. I just walked out the door, I got maybe six inches toward the street, and my phone rang. You are the only person I know who would be watching the clock for the end if my shift and then calculate -"

Oh wow. She really did know him well. "Wow, I am busted, huh?"

"Pretty much," she returned. He could hear the sound of traffic and wind through the phone. "Weather's coming in," she said conversationally. "Going to be ugly. At least as bad as the weather reports are saying. Trying to get over to my old place before people start realizing it and the traffic chokes off the streets. Plus, I got your note."

Oh, that was not going to work at all. "Don't go there," he sorta asked and pleaded. He was sure he sounded borderline pathetic.

"Castle," she started, her tone indulgent. "We're in for over a foot of snow by morning. It's like a blizzard made of a hurricane that's coming in, I really don't need to be standing on the sidewalk in front of the twelfth when it hits."

"It's a Snowicane, Beckett."

She laughed, and continued, "Yeah, it is. And I'm not inclined to get snowed in at the precinct when I have the weekend off. I'll end up drafted to the emergency services detail in like five minutes here."

He really didn't expect her to not come to the loft. He needed to try harder. "Still, Beckett. Mother has decided to throw some kind of blizzard party at the studio, so she's there for the duration. Alexis is at her place. Don't go back to your old place. Come to the loft."

Castle heard Kate take a breath and knew she was thinking things through. He waited patiently, or as patiently as he could for a few moments, then, couldn't take it anymore.

"Kate," he said slowly, using his best bedroom voice. It was the last trick he had to use, besides finding her and bringing her here himself. "Come get snowed in with me."

"Yeah," she breathed out, and he loved the sound of her voice. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

She ended the call, and he smiled. Now, to work on the s'mores.

* * *

Castle had pulled out most of the ingredients he wanted to make s'mores and had placed them near the fireplace. There was almost anything anyone could ever want on a graham cracker: Reese's minis, chocolate, peanut butter, jelly, bananas, peppermints, apples...

His phone buzzed, and he saw there was a message from Kate. She was on her way there, and wondered if there was anything they needed in the loft. He looked at the s'mores buffet he'd created, checked it twice, then answered, "I got marshmallows."

He didn't hear from her again for almost twenty minutes, then another message rang into his phone. She'd be up in about five minutes and that she was bringing dinner.

She didn't have to do that. It puzzled him why she would bring dinner... he had plenty of food here...

Oh well. He re-adjusted the placement of the goodies, then went to the door. Kate should be here very soon.

And, like he thought, it was only a few minutes before she stepped out of the elevator, two pizza boxes in hand.

"You didn't have to-"

Kate shrugged and said, "I know, I just didn't want to eat nothing but marshmallows for three days if the power went out. I figured pizza would be one of those things that was decent even if it got cold."

He blinked. Oh... he was one-tracked minded about s'mores when she texted earlier. With a smile, he said, "First of all, I love the way you think. I'm crazy about your lovely, devious mind." He relieved her of the pizza boxes and ushered her inside. "And second of all, I had no intention of letting you starve, Beckett." He leaned in to press a quick kiss in her hair as she passed, and she swatted at him playfully.

"It's a couple of pizzas, Castle. There's nothing particularly devious about it. And," she said snagging his hand as soon as he put the pizzas down, "if you're going to kiss me, then kiss me."

The next thing he knew, Kate was on him, pulling him into a slow, deep kiss. After an infinite moment, she broke away and asked, "You get any good writing done?"

"Well, I think so. Won't really know until the editors get a good look at it. Somewhere around the third draft of the latest chapters right now, so this where it really starts to get interesting."

She looked surprised and truly interested in the process. This was all still so different for him, having someone really wanting to know about his work.

"Is that usually difficult?" She asked, as he pulled her further into the loft.

He started to answer, then noticed she'd finally seen the rest of the loft. "Castle," she choked out on a laugh, "what on Earth –"

She was properly amazed, and he loved it. "Cool right?" Castle said. "There's an entire area over here, with the black comforters, with an air mattress, And then this area over here has the later comforters and sheets so we can use the projector. I've got battery packs for that. And then I left it open over by the fireplace, and that way we'll have the ability to run it for light and heat if we have to."

"Wow, Castle. This is really something," she said. She seemed really into this, and it excited him in ways... lots of ways... but that was something for later. "And you have marshmallows, too," she added with a little laugh.

She really hadn't seen it yet, had she? "Not just marshmallows, Beckett. A full-scale array of options for s'mores, look."

She looked. And he was pretty sure he had a similar look on his face a few days ago at the Angel Tree when Gina showed up.

"You make s'mores like you make cookies," she observed.

Oh yeah, there was that, too! He'd stocked up on that stuff several days ago. "Oh, actually? I got that stuff too, if the power stays on or for when we get it back."

She shook her head and sighed. "Okay, so pizza?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and movies. I've got a whole Christmas based selection." He gestured to a stack of DVDs and watched as Kate flipped through A Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express - of course he'd include that one after last year, Scrooged, his favorite, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, and a very special movie he picked out for her while they shopped for their Angels. It wasn't lost on him as she sucked in a breath and turned her eyes to his.

"Thought you'd like that," he said. "I saw it and immediately thought of you. I knew we had to have it. It's the new one, the TV special. It's a little under half an hour, but there is a commentary and stuff."

She turned it over in her hands, reading over it. He thought he could see tears forming in her eyes. She was probably remembering their trek through the city last year, to the school. Then, she cleared her throat, seeming to pull herself together. "Really sappy there, Castle."

He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah," he said softly against her hair. She smelled like coconut and cherries. It was intoxicating, and one of these days, he'd figure out that layer of the Beckett onion, but not today. "but it's for you, so…"

Slowly, she stepped out of his embrace and dropped to her knees. "So, are you going be joining me in this monstrosity, or not?" she asked as she ducked through the entrance to his blanket fort.

"Of course," he answered. He would follow her anywhere.

"Good. Don't forget the supplies then," she said dryly.

He really did get distracted. Evil woman. "Right," He said, "Pizza. And marshmallows!"

Castle slipped out during one of the battle scenes of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians to make s'mores. He'd seen the movie a hundred times, and it just got better from here. He knew Kate wouldn't care for it at first, but he figured she'd come around.

He pieced together several varieties of s'mores for Kate. Knowing her, she'd only ever had the bland every day kind, with only chocolate and marshmallows. These would blow her mind.

"Castle, I swear if I have to watch something this bad, you better be over here watching it with me," she groused.

She'd come around, he reminded himself. It was only the first viewing, anyway. This was like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It needed multiple viewings to be properly appreciated.

He climbed back toward her through the tunnel blankets and settled in next to her, holding out a plate of treats. "It's just round one," he said, "but we've got classic, black forest, and Elvis."

"Elvis?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He knew that one would get her attention.

"Sure, same marshmallow, but you swap out a miniature Reese's peanut butter cup for the chocolate, and add a slice of banana," he explained, handing her one.

Kate took it from him and bit into the gooey confection, peanut butter and marshmallow oozing out of the sides. "Good," she said, though it sounded like "Goo!"

He laughed and said, "You have some chocolate," he leaned over and swiped at the her bottom lip with his thumb, "right there."

Kate raised an eyebrow him as she reached out and stole the chocolate from his thumb with her tongue. "Thanks," she said with a small smile.

That was so hot. And unexpected. The things this woman did to him was a constant roller coaster of amazing. "You're going to kill me one of these days," he said. "You know that, don't you?"

She seemed to pick up exactly where he was thinking. "Sure, but it's going to be fun."

He groaned and pulled away, and she looked surprised by his move. Kate got quiet and he thought maybe she misread his intentions.

He looked back at her and said, "Not yet, Beckett. I've got something planned for after movie hour, and if we start that, we'll never get to it."

She ducked and tried to hide the crimson tint to her cheeks. He knew they were on the same page, they always were, but really, he had an awesome plan. They just needed to wait a little longer.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Fine Castle, have it your way. My turn to make the s'mores, anyway. Your turn to watch the Martians." She climbed over him, ducking through the tunnels of blankets, barely getting out of reach when the lights flickered and went out.

"Think we just lost power," she called back.

"No worries, I've got three battery backups for the DVD player in here. And plenty of blankets, so I don't think we'll have any trouble staying warm."

There would never be any trouble of that between the two of them, and he really loved that about them.

* * *

They spent the next couple of hours watching movies on the projection player, and trying to one up each other with bizarre s'more combinations. Castle had to admit, Kate was really giving him a run for his money, so he was glad when at last the movies had finished.

"Okay," he said, and reached for her hand. He tipped his head down the opposite tunnel toward the part of the fort made with darker blankets. "Come on, this way. I want to show you something." Kate gave him that smile, the one she only smiled for him, the one he loved so much, and followed.

"Okay," she said.

He took her toward the darker part of the fort, and Castle motioned for her to make herself comfortable. He gave her a few moments to settle in on the air mattress. Once she was still and thoughtful, he turned on the indoor planetarium light, and the area they were in lit up from every angle.

"What –" she started to ask, then realized what it was. "Stars?" She asked.

He smiled, loving the look of awe in her eyes. "Pretty cool, Ha? It's like our very own private planetarium."

"Amazing," she said softly.

"I knew you'd like it, because you're amazing," he said.

There was a playful look in her eye, and it was like she'd finally figured it out. What this was about the whole time, that this was their own fun time. Just them, and not a care in the world.

"You seem to be something of a pro at this," she said, and there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

He made his way to her side, thinking of the times he had done this for Alexis when she was a child, but this was so much more.

"Oh, you know. Used to be a lot of fun when Alexis was little. Now she just thinks I need to grow up." Sad, but true. His little girl had grown up, and grown away from him. At least, that's how it seemed.

Kate reached out and took his hand. "Nah, Your inner child is a lot more fun than he is annoying, Castle. Don't ever change."

Wow. No one had ever told him that before. If they told him anything, it was always variations of "grow up" or "act your age." Again, Kate was simply an amazing, extraordinary woman. And for some reason, she was his. One of these days, he'd figure that one out as well, how he came to be so lucky.

"Thanks," he said, "I know it's probably not exactly what you had in mind when I invited you over here," he admitted softly.

"No," she said softly. "This is better."

Kate laid back onto the blankets next to him, and for a long moment there was nothing. He then turned on his side, purposely blocking her view. "Of course," he said slowly, "The best part is we can play like grownups too."

Slowly, her lips parted into a sexy smile that warmed him all over. As he leaned in to kiss her, she said, "Thought you'd never ask."


	4. Marshmallow World

**A/N:** This is hot off the press, and we're flying beta-free. All mistakes are mine. Be sure to read **The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett** by **lms2457 **Sometimes, knowing both sides of the story makes the whole thing better. ;)

Also, thank you so much for the awesome reviews, follows, and favorites!

_It's freaking cold here and I can't think straight, so how about to good friends, hard drives, and endless laughter? ;) _

* * *

**Marshmallow World**

**December 7, 2013**

Castle felt weird when he first started waking up. It was like the world was made of jello, and he was sinking into the floor. There was some kind of noise, and Kate's voice, but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying.

Then, like nails across a chalkboard, her words came through, loud and clear.

_"Castle, someone's here, wake up."_

"What?" He came awake with a jerk. He was surrounded by black comforters and Kate was with him...

Then, the activities from last night came crawling back to the forefront of his mind. He started to reach for her, but she moved away as she said, "There's someone at the door. Oh, and my phone."

Castle somehow managed to get to his feet from the air mattress, still groggy and feeling like he'd slept on the ground. "Okay," he said. "I'm up."

He crawled through the maze he'd made the day before and finally made it to the door. Whomever was on the other side sounded like they were getting impatient. He opened the door, and thought his jaw might hit the floor.

"Alexis?"

His little girl had come home, and for some odd reason, had knocked before entering. This was all too much for him, especially this early. Castle hoped he was keeping a straight face, because it was more than a little difficult to keep from getting too over-excited, and quite possibly childish, because she'd come home.

There was a little noise from behind him, and he turned just in time to see Kate crawl out of the fort. She was checking her phone, and she looked like she might have half a clue of what's going on.

This must have happened more quickly than it seemed, because Alexis took a step inside and started speaking, not seeming to notice anything at all.

"I saw the power was back on in most of the neighborhood, so I thought maybe I could come over and we could – " there was a long pause as she looked from Kate, then back to her dad. "Oh my God, I woke you guys. I'm so sorry. We were up early and I didn't even think –"

"No," he said, cutting her off probably too quickly. "It's all right, we were awake. Really."

"No, yeah. Alexis it's fine," Kate said, waving her phone, "We're up. Just got your message."

"If you're sure," Alexis said. She didn't seem to believe them, but then she took a good look around the loft. It was like she was looking at the place for the first time. "Oh my God, Dad, what did you do?"

That hurt a little. What did it look like? "We got snowed in," Castle answered.

"Dad," Alexis said with an eye roll. He could tell she was amused, and maybe a little embarrassed.

Kate was suddenly at his side, looking slightly odd, something only he would pick up on. She might have been offended by the way his daughter was reacting to the blanket fort.

Her hand was comforting as it moved down his back, and her bright smile was directed at Alexis. "I don't think I've ever had that much fun in a blackout," she said.

His daughter's eyes widened, like she'd had too much information, and he started to speak just as Kate added, "Although, I admit it wasn't exactly a fan of Santa Claus versus the Martians, but the indoor planetarium trick was really neat."

"Oh, you did stars for Kate?" Alexis asked, sounding more enthusiastic than earlier.

He nodded and started to tell her... the parts he could tell her, but then Kate spoke again, "Go have a shower Castle. We'll clean up here, and I'll see if I can get breakfast going," she said, already moving into the kitchen.

Breakfast? That wasn't the plan. "Thought we were gonna do cookies," he said. "That could be breakfast. This one time when I was in Ireland, they only had chocolate chip cookies on the breakfast menu at the hotel, so it's a real thing."

"No," both women said in unison. Wow. Knocked down by both of them. Thank God Mother wasn't here as well.

Castle turned toward his room saying, "No fun," on a sigh.

* * *

Castle took a quick shower, hoping to give Kate and Alexis a little time together, but not too much. In a way, it was still strange to him for them to have the good relationship they have. He was thankful, very thankful, that they got along well, but sometimes, it verged on overwhelming how well Kate had integrated into his family.

Integrated enough to convince every one of his family and friends to conspire against him for his birthday. And he still needed to plan his revenge for that... but not real soon. Kate needed to get comfortable, and enough time needed to pass for her to forget that he mentioned anything about retribution for staging that murder.

He was towel-drying his hair when the most heavenly smell wafted into his bedroom. Whatever Kate and Alexis were cooking was sure to be awesome. He quickly got his clothes on and walked back into the living room.

"Well," he said, before he'd even reached them. "This smells like heaven. What are you two up to in here?" He saw his coffee cup on the counter, and took a seat at the bar.

Alexis was the first to answer, "It was all Kate's idea. And I thought you had the market cornered on crazy breakfasts."

She'd barely finished speaking when he saw it on the counter. What the-? His hand froze half way to his coffee cup. "Is that...a pizza pancake?! A giant chocolate chip pizza sized pancake?"

"Uh huh," Kate said.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Here, he was expecting something like Kate had made in the past, like the awesome breakfast she made after her apartment blew up, but this, this just blew that out of the park.

"How are you even a real person?" he asked.

She laughed and shrugged. "Another old trick of my mom's. "If you bake the pancakes like this, they'll come out at the same time so everybody gets hot ones at once. Plus, this is always a great excuse to make the peanut butter syrup."

"The what now?" Castle asked, knowing he couldn't possibly have heard her correctly. Peanut butter syrup?

Alexis laughed. "I told you he'd lose his mind."

He looked over to Kate, wanting to ask her more about the peanut butter syrup, and saw the look shared between her and his daughter.

Then, he saw it when the thought struck her. "Are you sure this is going to be okay for you, Alexis? I mean I know that you and Pi –"

"No," Alexis offered quickly. "I mean, it's important to him, but it's more his than mine. It's fine when we eat together, but…"

"Sometimes you just need a little sugar in your life?" Kate offered.

Alexis nodded quickly. "And dairy… And bacon!" She punctuated the point with a quick bite. "I mean I want to be supportive but," she trailed off.

Kate nodded, understanding. "Sometimes a girl's got to do her own thing?"

"Exactly." Alexis answered emphatically.

Kate spoke again, "Hey, as long as you know that, and he does too, you're good. Besides, it goes both ways." She looked at him, and he smiled.

"Yeah," Alexis sighed.

He wanted to add to what Kate said, but she stopped him with a plate full of the awesome breakfast she and Alexis had made.

"Eat, Castle," she said, "We have cookies to bake."

He nodded, and dug in. "Yeah, I still want your cookie dough secrets."

Kate took the stool next to his. "I told you Castle, it's easy. You just need all the extra mixer bowls you can get your hands on, about a half dozen large zippered plastic bags, then from there it's all assembly line work."

He started to ask more, but Alexis picked up the trail of the explanation, and he listened as she and Kate settled in to easy breakfast conversation.

He did manage to get a comment in here and there, but it was nice, listening to the two women getting on so well. And besides, there would be TONS of cookie dough to sample while they weren't paying attention, or while he distracted them with his awesome cookie concoctions.

This could quite possibly be the best cookie making day ever.


	5. Stories

**A/N: **Be sure to read**The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett** by **lms2457 **Sometimes, knowing both sides of the story makes the whole thing better.** ;)**

Once again, apologies for the late posting, and all mistakes are mine. Just be glad I took a look at this thing before I posted... LOL

_We brain-waved again, and for that, I'm kinda glad. I wasn't sure how I was going to fix my mess without your company. :)_

* * *

**Stories**

**December 8, 2013**

Castle put the finishing touches in the coffees he'd made for him and Kate and walked back into the bedroom. He'd gotten up earlier than normal in hopes the snow had melted away enough where he could take Kate out. There was a really cool event going on at the library today, and he didn't want to miss it.

Kate was stretching when he entered the room. He wasn't sure how he didn't drop the tray of coffee, and his note, onto the floor.

"You're up early," she said, stretching again.

"And you slept in," he returned.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Snowed in, remember?"

He shook his head as he set the tray of coffee down next to her. "Not anymore, thank goodness," he said. "I have plans for us today."

"Oh is that right?" she asked dryly. He saw her eye the note, then look at him for a moment before she took and read it. "Stories?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yep," he answered, "Today is the New York Public Library's holiday open house. It's an event that they do every year for members and supporters. It's a family thing, lots of fun. I thought it might be nice to go and check it out, since we didn't go last year. Plus, it's a nice change of pace from being stuck indoors these last couple of days.

She gave him her sexy smirk and said, "And here I thought you like being stuck in the loft with me."

"Oh, I do. Believe me I do." He did, but he was ready for a different kind of fun, even if they'd had a blast the entire weekend. "But I really think you'll enjoy this. So it's worth a little time braving this snowy world, I think."

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. "Relax Castle, I'm just messing with you. It sounds like fun."

"Good." He smiled brightly and reached out for his own coffee cup. After a long sip, he turned to her and said, "It starts in a couple of hours, so it's not exactly a rush, but we should probably get moving. Shower?"

"Absolutely," she said, as she rose to her feet. "We wouldn't want to be late."

That's exactly the answer he'd hoped for.

* * *

Kate and Castle had been in the library for a little over an hour, exploring each and every event going on. It hadn't taken them long to find the map room, and together, they were working on the map challenge to win the prize. It was great.

Before long, they had separated, while searching the room for clues.

"Excuse me, Mr. Castle?" he turned to see one of the librarians walking toward him, one he'd met on a previous occasion. "I'm Ellen Rigby, director over children's activities. I believe we've met before..." She extended a hand to him, "How are you today?"

He took her hand, "I do remember, and I'm doing well," he said, "Just checking out the map challenge with my fiance. I really am impressed with all the events that are put on here - it's truly amazing."

She smiled broadly, taking the compliment as he meant. "Why thank you so much! It really is a big to-do around here..." She appeared to be working up to something. "And that's part of why I'm glad Chris told me you were in here. You see, we are scheduled to have story reading in the Children's Room in about half an hour and our narrator has cancelled at the last minute because he's snowed in-"

He could see where this was going, and he couldn't help himself. "I would love to step in!" he said, then, tried to calm himself down, "I mean, if you are asking me to..."

"Yes!" she smiled brightly and shook his hand again, "Thank you so much! I could do it myself, but with all the other activities, I didn't think it wise to over-work myself if possible."

"You're more than welcome, just let me make sure it's fine with my fiance," he said.

Castle knew he'd jumped in before thinking, but he did need to touch base with Kate before committing to anything. However, he was sure she would be fine with him filling in.

"Of course," said Ellen, "Just let me know."

He turned around to find Kate, and saw her in the opposite corner of the room, talking with Chris, who worked in the research room.

"Kate, there you are," Castle said, joining them. He looked from her to Chris and back, asking, "Oh. Have the two of you… met?" he asked.

"Oh, a time or two. Here and there." Chris answered before she had the chance to speak. "Excuse me, I'll leave you to it." Castle loved the man's way with words.

"That was… Very strange," Kate said quietly.

"Oh? Chris has been in the research room for years, he's been invaluable to me on a number projects," Castle said. If she only knew he was the Santa she'd met at Macy's last year...

Kate nodded, but narrowed her eyes. She knew he had something to tell her. "What was all that about?"

"Oh, well that's going to put a small change in our afternoon, I'm afraid. Ellen works in the children's room," he said. "And apparently, the narrator for the children's holiday story hour canceled at the last moment. Snowed in. Ellen could do it herself, but she wondered maybe if I wouldn't mind – if it's alright with you – filling in?"

Her eyes widened. She totally wasn't expecting that at all. "Really?" she asked, and her eyes twinkled with something he hadn't seen before.

She was totally into listening to him read. Why hadn't he already figured that out?

"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" Now, he couldn't wait to get up and read for the kids. 

* * *

Castle walked into the Children's Room with Kate on his arm. He looked around for Ellen, so he would know what exactly he was doing. He noticed Kate was looking around as well, watching the line of parents and children crowding toward the seating area.

"Mr. Castle!" he turned in the direction of the voice, seeing one of the librarians stepping toward him from behind the front desk. "Thank you again for coming here on such short notice!"

"It was really no problem at all," he said, instantly smiling and squeezed Kate's hand. "I'm happy to help out."

"The children and their parents are this way. Follow me," She smiled brightly, then lead them into the reading room. It was as much as he expected, kids of all ages, and a few parents here and there.

Castle felt Kate's grip loosen, and he turned to her, about to ask, as she said, "This is your place. I'm going to find a chair."

"Okay." He already missed the contact with her, but managed a quick kiss on the cheek before she was off.

After Kate walked off, Ellen paused for a moment, and said, "The books you will read are on the table to the right of the podium. I'm going to welcome everyone here, then, will call you up."

Castle nodded and watched the librarian step up to the podium and began her short speech. It took him a moment to find his way back into his head, get in the mindset of reading, like he always did before reading in front of a crowd.

Thankfully, she took just enough time before calling him up. Castle smiled broadly and walked up with a slight jump in his step as he waved to the clapping audience.

"Good morning, everyone," he looked over the crowd and found Kate far at the back, smiling at him. "I am so very thankful to be here this morning, so that I may read a few really awesome stories to you and your children."

The books were right where she told him and he wasn't sure what happened, but one of them jumped out of his hand. So, here he was, in front of everyone, clumsily juggling the books. When he finally got them under control, he could hear the kids giggling and see the amused looks on their faces.

Kate seemed to be the only one who saw his clumsiness for what it was.

"And you thought this would be just a normal reading day, huh?" he joked, then finally set the books straight in front of him. He looked around, feeling like this was a bit too formal. The podium was on a raised stage, so he moved it to the side, and sat on the edge with the books beside him.

"I think this is a bit better, don't you think?" There were lots of enthusiastic nods from the children.

"Can anyone tell me what book this is?" he asked and raised the first book up for all to see. One kid in particular, a little girl with wavy blonde hair was smiling brightly at him.

He pointed to her, "Miss, do you know the title of this story?"

She clapped her hands over her smiling mouth and nodded. Castle was surprised her glasses didn't fall off with the wild movement.

"Can you tell me?"

She squeaked, then looked at her mother, who nodded and gave her a little nudge. Her eyes were wide and slowly, she brought her hands down. "It's _The Polar Express_!" she exclaimed, then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth again. It was like she couldn't believe she could talk that loud.

He looked at the book, then back at her, "Very good! Is it a good story? I haven't read it in a very long time, and you know, when you get old like me, your memory goes quick." Castle looked at the book again, "Hey, can anyone tell me what book this is?"

The kids started giggling again, and he couldn't help but laugh too. "I'm really kidding, my memory isn't that bad. But it has been a while."

Castle opened the book and read the title page, "_The Polar Express_, by Chris Van Allsburg."

He read the story, looking up from time-to-time at his audience, not missing the wishful looks of the kids, the smiled from the adults, and most of all, the oddly wistful look on Kate's face. He filed that back to ask about later.

It seemed like only a moment before the story was at the end, and the kids burst into applause. He gave them a moment, bowing here and there, thanking them.

Then, he looked at the other book, and knew it had to be a sign from the universe. "Here's our next story, and it's a favorite in my, um, family," he held it up and looked directly at Kate when he said, "_Santa Mouse_, by Michael Brown."

The look she gave him filled his heart with something he couldn't quite contain, and he guessed by the way the story went on, the feeling went into his reading.

It wasn't long before the story was finished, and he stood, waving at the audience, thanking them as they clapped.

Then, something bumped hard into his side. The little blonde-haired girl was there, hugging him and smiling like she did before. "Thank you, Mr. Castle!"

"You are very welcome," he smiled and patted her on the back as he looked around for her parent.

Mom was right there, and pulled her daughter away. "I apologize, Mr. Castle, all this time, and Kaylee still doesn't know a stranger."

"It's all right," he said, then got on his knees, so he was at eye level with the little girl, "I'm glad you came to listen to me read Kaylee!" he said.

She never seemed to stop smiling. "I really, really, really liked the stories! It was really fun! Are you going to read more?"

Castle thought she was adorable and suddenly remembered how difficult it was to say no. "I'm afraid that's all the time I have to read for today, but if the librarian lady asks me to come back again, I will do my best to be here."

"Okay!" Kaylee's eyes lit up and she hugged him quickly again before she ran back to her mother, "Mommy, did you hear that? Mr. Castle will come back if he's asked! We gotta make sure they ask him back!" Her mother smiled and waved as Kaylee continued to chatter on.

Castle got back to his feet and was surprised to find Kate around his arm and leaning into him. "You tell me I'm extraordinary, but sometimes, you do the most amazing things that make you extraordinary as well."

He wondered what exactly he did to deserve such praise from Kate, but decided not to ask. Not now, anyway. He just wanted to stay in this moment forever, with her so warm by his side.


	6. Decoration

**A/N:** Don't forget to check out **lms2457's The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett** if you haven't done so yet!

_For the small and immeasurable change that blessed my life this past year. _

* * *

**Decoration**

**December 9, 2013**

Castle hauled an armload of grocery bags up the elevator and down the hallway to the loft. Some of this stuff, though, was spur of the moment. Kate would probably shoot him for picking up more than the few things he was sent to get, but he was sure he'd survive.

He unlocked and opened the door to the loft and nearly dropped everything as he entered. He... he just... wow... didn't expect this at all.

Most of the loft was decorated for Christmas. Granted, a few days later than normal, but he and Kate had been quite busy. And wow, was she quick! He checked his watch, seeing he'd only been gone a few hours.

"You can scrape your jaw off the floor anytime now," she said as she climbed down the ladder from which she had just finished hanging a string of lights.

"I... I'm amazed," he started. He was totally at a loss for words. "You are like some kind of ninja. Did you know that?"

She smiled, and all he could see was her. "Seems like I have heard that before. There's still plenty left to do, but why don't you look around a bit before you help me finish?"

"Okay," Castle looked around in wonder. Kate had really come so far this past year. He honestly thought decorating would be a little different this year. He wasn't sure how, just had that feeling. He had no idea it would be this kind of different, and he loved it.

The tree was up, undecorated, but there was a handful of ornaments placed on a table nearby. Along the walls, there were strings of lights, tinsel, and garlands of all sorts. One of the ornaments the tree caught his attention, so he looked closer. It was a tiny wreath with a picture in the center. He was reminded of the ornaments Alexis made when she was in elementary, and when he turned it in his hand, he was surprised to see the picture was of Kate, taken when she was about six or seven years old.

"This is you!" he said, and he could have kicked himself about the way his voice cracked.

"Yeah, well," Kate walked up behind him, her arms wrapped around him and her chin rested on his shoulder. "They were in the box of decorations I opened last year. I figured you wouldn't mind if I added them with the ones you and Alexis made."

He turned and kissed her cheek. "This is so awesome." It felt great, having her so into this stuff, so open this year. It filled him in ways he never knew possible.

Gently, he set the ornament down, and saw the set of candles on the piano. Kate had really out done herself, and to think the decorating wasn't quite finished.

She cleared her throat, and he leaned back into her for a moment before he pulled her in front of him. "You have no idea how amazing this is to me."

"And you haven't really seen all of it yet." She took a slip of paper out of her pocket and pressed it into the palm of his hand.

Curious, Castle opened the paper and it read, "Decoration." Singular. He watched her closely. There was something in her voice and her eyes. She must have left something out for him to find.

"Okay..."

He walked over to the piano, taking care to pay attention to detail. There was nothing he could see about the setting there, so he moved on to the tree, glancing once more at the ornaments on the table. Then, he traced the lines of the garlands and other wall decorations before he saw the things set on the mantle of his fireplace.

It made him smile, seeing how she had re-arranged the pictures of his family - all of his family - there, adding pine cones and other Christmasy bits in between. And then, there were the stockings hanging from the edge.

But there was something not quite right about the placement, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Wait... Oh, wait... He had to be counting wrong.

Castle stopped. His heart pounded in his ears. What did this mean? What in the world...

"Okay, maybe what I did was a bad idea," said Kate, sounding more than a little nervous, "Castle, breathe!"

"I-I-okay," he choked. He tried to control himself, but didn't know how to react or what it meant.

"Now, sit."

He took a few steps back, then landed hard onto the couch. Breathe. He needed to breathe. "Are you-?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"No, I'm not," Kate answered, and looked like she was a deer caught in the headlights. He was sure he looked the same. "But after watching you with the kids yesterday, it really made me think about us, and our future."

"Oh, okay," he said. She looked hopeful now, not quite so scared, but then, he was breathing better, and could feel the blood return to his head. It was some weird mix of disappointment and relief at the same time that washed over him.

Kate took his hand in hers and she squeezed it as she smiled. "My plan kind of backfired, and I apologize. I didn't expect... well, I just didn't think it through. Like I said, I watched you read to the kids, and remembered about a year ago when you said you wanted the option of having more kids." She bit her lip and watched him for a few seconds before she continued, "This is me telling you that if, or when, you decide you want that option to become a reality, I'm here, and I'm all in."

This was totally not how he expected them to talk about having kids. But wow, Kate's really all in, and he can't seem to make the words come out.

He did retain enough of his senses to recall Kate's language is that of actions and not words. So he pulled her against him, threading his fingers through her hair and crashing his lips into hers.

He figured she'd understand completely.


	7. Holly

**A/N: **Mistakes are all mine. Don't forget **lms2457** has Kate's version, and give her a little love (in the form of reviews) while you're there! :)

_Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right._

* * *

**Holly**

**December 10, 2013**

It was another day of paperwork at the precinct. Normally, Castle would be bored out of his mind, and play _Angry Birds_ or _Plants Vs. Zombies_ on his phone, but his mind was elsewhere.

Kate's surprise yesterday still was at the very front of his mind. She wanted to have a family with him. She really did, and it boggled his mind.

It made him warm all over, and want to do things... not that there was much they didn't do last night, but something that would mean just as much to her as her 'decoration' meant to him.

And as if Thor's Hammer fell through the sky and bounced off his head, he thought of it. It was something already planned, something actually already under the tree, but he would go ahead and give it to Kate. It was the right time - the perfect time.

He just needed a nice, romantic evening to create the right atmosphere, and he couldn't do it from here. He hoped Kate didn't mind, or have anything awesome planned tonight that couldn't be changed.

"I've... got to leave... have a few errands I just remembered I need to take care of before the day's out," he said as he stood and smiled, "And I'll pick up dinner while you finish paperwork."

"You're just getting out of doing paperwork. Again." She teased, giving him that look she really didn't need to give in the middle of the bullpen. It made his mind wander to places it shouldn't. Here, anyway.

"If that's what you wish to think, I can't stop you," he said, "However, I will make you a latte before I leave."

Castle felt Kate's eyes on him as he went to the break room. She knew he was up to something, and at the moment, he didn't care. However, there was a note he needed to attend to.

He searched the drawers while the coffee maker did it's work, until he found a blank index card and an envelope.

It was all too perfect.

Quickly, he wrote "Holly" on the card, placed it in the envelope and sealed it. Just as his attention needed to be back at the coffee machine. Awesome timing.

Castle did his magic, pouring the coffee and steamed milk into the mug, forming a heart. He loved doing things like this for her, and it would work great as a distraction.

He took the latte to Kate, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you want?" she asked, "Last time -"

"Last time was different. I just did this because I wanted to." He smiled as she closed her eyes and took a sip.

And that was his opportunity to place the card in just the right spot, so she wouldn't find it until he was gone.

"So... see you this evening?" he asked, hoping she didn't see exactly what he did through her closed eyes. Sometimes, Kate was a ninja like that.

"Yeah, that would be great," she said, "Be careful."

He could tell she was still a bit suspicious, but she was letting him get away with it without asking.

They said their goodbyes, and Castle was out the door in minutes to begin his dirty work.

* * *

It was several hours later, and Castle was already home with dinner when he received Kate's text.

_"__I__f I'm walking into an ambush at the loft, fair warning may save your life."_

Castle stared at his phone for a long, confused moment, wondering what in the world she could mean. Then, it hit him. Last year, Mother had entered into their game and sent "Mistletoe" to them, only to ambush them both with a loft-full of guests.

As soon as he figured it out, he answered, _"No ambush, promise. Just me."_

Her single-word reply, _"Good."_ Told him she wasn't quite sure about the truth of his promise. Funny, that should be the case.

He sent to her, smiling as he typed, just to rattle her chain a bit, _"No mistletoe, either. Unless you want some, in which case__...__"_

_"I don't need mistletoe, just you is perfect."_

Okay, she's going to make him cry in happiness, and she's not even here. He really needed to get a hold of himself. But then, he looked at the mantle again, seeing the tiny stocking, and nearly choked up again.

He was such a sap, it wasn't even remotely funny. If the guys knew - if Esposito knew - he'd never hear the end of it.

* * *

Dinner was quiet and delicious, and the wine was flowing nicely through Castle's veins. He noticed how Kate nursed her glass and loved the nice pink hue it gave to her cheeks. He had made sure to pick up her favorite red, just to see that.

He watched her through the entire meal, almost like it was the first time they'd gone out after she showed up soaking wet at his door. Kate was simply amazing, and he was sure it would never totally sink in that she was on this path with him, leading to a life together.

As Castle put away the final few dishes, he walked into the living room to join Kate on the couch.

"What does my note mean?" she asked, wheedling just a little.

He loved the way her voice sounded. It told him the wine was flowing freely through Kate as well. "Impatient, are we?"

"Hmm...maybe," she sipped her wine and leaned in as he came to sit beside her.

Castle wanted to lean toward her, but instead, reached under the edge of the couch. There was something he'd placed there that he wanted to give her, and her confused look made him a little more nervous than it should have.

"Here," he said, and placed the small silver wrapped package in her hand. His heart was racing, and it really shouldn't have been. Seriously, it wasn't like he was asking her to marry him. That was a different set of nerves.

Kate stared at the package for a very long, almost overwhelming, moment. Castle saw all the emotions sparkle in her eyes, then, it was like she pushed through it all and went forward. Like she always did, now that he thought about it.

She slipped her finger under the seam in the paper, made quick work of the wrapping, and tipped the box out. Then with a last look in his direction, she opened the box, and saw the bracelet. It was a delicate piece of work, gold inlaid at even intervals with emerald chips for leaves and ruby chips for berries. Holly. Just as the note said.

It was one he'd picked out several weeks ago, and was meant to be given to her at Christmas, but he had to give it to her tonight. Especially after yesterday, and how honest she was with him. He knew she would understand the meaning, and that, in itself, was extraordinary.

"Castle," she whispered. "It's beautiful." Kate really seemed taken back by the gift.

He cleared his throat as he gently took the box from her so he could clip the bracelet around her wrist. "In heraldry, Holly symbolizes truth."

His words stunned Kate, and he could see the wheels turning, how she was putting it all together in her mind. It was almost like watching her at the murder board when they were building theory. Amazing.

"I meant to give you this as a gift for Christmas, Because I like the symbolism of the thing, I know how much that sort thing means to you. But, then after yesterday I wanted to give it to you, So that you wouldn't. At least, I hope. I hope you know that I'm with you on that. A family with you," He said, mentally kicking himself how that didn't come out as he intended.

"I know we had talked about it, a little bit. In passing, mostly offhandedly," he continued, "And then a little bit more few weeks back, that one case. But it meant a lot to me, Kate, that you went to the trouble to tell me, to outright let me know what you were thinking and feeling about it. What you wanted for us. That's - Well it's never been easy for either of us and I appreciate the effort that you're making. Even if it came as a shock."

She smiled and he could see the tiny glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Castle, I'm the one who is grateful, because I know I have not always made this easy. And I know you said after how things were with Meredith - "

Castle stopped her. That was not where he wanted this to go, and well, he needed to tell her the truth. The whole truth.

"Kate, believe me, I know you're not Meredith. Outside of the moment, when I can sit down and think about it, I know you really aren't. And not just because she was a dismissive mother."

Kate seemed to study him for a moment before she pushed on, and really, part of him wished she wouldn't, even though he knew he had opened that door himself. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He had to tell her, sooner or later, but where could he possibly start? It felt like too much, too soon, and he started to think of ways to avoid the conversation.

"Castle," She tried again, this time and displaying the small fine bracelet on her wrist. Yeah, she knew where to hit him. "Truth," she said. "Remember?"

"The truth?" He asked, the voice coming out of him sounding way more agitated than he meant, but in so many ways, it still hurt after all this time. "The truth is, I wouldn't have minded so much being Mr. Mom while she went out to pursue her acting career. What I did mind was when "pursuing her acting career" included sleeping with her director in our living room."

Kate's jaw dropped. "She what?" She asked, totally in disbelief, "Castle," she breathed, and suddenly, he was wrapped up in her.

"It was a long time ago," he said slowly, gently rubbing her back in some attempt to sooth her. He had no idea she would react in this way. She held on, like she never wanted to let go, and her reaction puzzled him some.

He guessed the idea of someone else hurting him like that hurt her as well. This was all so different from any romantic relationship he'd ever had. And it felt good, in a way, knowing that's how Kate felt.

After a while, she offered a soft, "Thank you for telling me. I hope you know by now, Castle...I would never -"

"I know," he said. He really did. And when she looked at him, he softly continued, "The Holly has another meaning, you know? "Healer of the heart." Shakespeare used it like that."

If it was possible, Kate held on even tighter, and it felt good, like he was finally home. The weight of all he'd told her lifted off of his shoulders and it made him feel lighter, like he'd never known freedom until this moment.

Kate was definitely the healer of his heart. In every way.


	8. Glitter

**A/N: **Check out my partner's fic as well and don't forget to send her some love! :) **The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett by lms2457**

_Too sleep and all the good that comes from it. LOL_

* * *

**Glitter**

**December 11, 2013**

"Castle," she called softly, this voice that could only have come from heaven above. "Castle, wake up." She drew her fingers through his hair, a light touch that always sent warmth cascading through his body.

Speaking of which, "Mmm… Body?" he asked. His eyes still refused to open, and he was thankful his mouth worked well enough to be understood.

"No," Katee answered quietly, "no call. But... Early plans, reservations."

"Huh." He was drowsy, still out of it. Kate's fingers kept up the movement against his skin and through his hair.

Castle could have stayed in this moment forever, but she had something planned, and before work. That was different.

"But," she said, then kissed him slowly. "We have enough time for a good wake up call."

Her hands started to roam, and it started to make a little sense. "Oh," he said, humming his approval as that particular suggestion brought wakefulness rushing in, and in a hurry.

He felt her smile against his lips, and the rest of the world fell away until the two of them were all that mattered.

"What are we doing down here at 6:30 in the morning?" Castle asked, a little whiny with it. She'd taken them out of their warm bed for the cold city streets, after all.

He'd been quiet the entire cab ride, and Kate wouldn't give any kind of hint. It was really beginning to mess with his mind, confusing him.

Kate said nothing as she exited the cab. But then, before he could get out, she met him on his side of the vehicle, and passed him his note.

Castle opened the paper and read it. "Glitter?" he asked, wondering what in the world she could mean. His brain was still not working properly, and Glitter? Really?

She shrugged. "It's not necessarily the best description in the world. But yeah, glisten, glitter. It works."

He took in a deep breath and turned around slowly, taking in the surrounding. Something in the area was glittery, and he would find it before he froze to death.

They were at Rockefeller Center, and it was still early morning, so the sunlight hadn't made its way high enough to make a visible impact in the winter morning.

"The tree glitters," he said, trying to reason it out, however, that was the first day of this year's game, and last year's, for that matter. "But we did that, didn't we?"

"We did," she confirmed with a smile. "And and ate enough ice cream to feed half of the city besides. But that's not all that's here. Is it?"

"That glitters?" He asked. He was still stumped, and that made Kate's smile widen. She really thought she'd gotten to him.

He turned back to her, then back to the site before him, then back to her again. "The rink," he said slowly. "The ice." That had to be it.

"Hmmm... It is pretty glittery, isn't it?"

And... she was crazy. "But it's early, Beckett. It's not even open yet, there's no one here."

Kate shrugged and said, "They're opening. First Skate sessions at 7:00 am by reservation. Which we have."

Oh wow. That was cool. "We do?"

She nodded. "We can rent skates now, get ready, and there's coffee, coca and some kind of pastry or other in the igloo area. Then we have an hour, from 7 to 8 to skate. Then we head into work."

"That's awesome. But, what made you think of it? Last year - " He recalled keeping to a smaller, less popular rink because Kate wasn't comfortable skating in a crowd.

She waved her hand, indicating the rink around them. "You said it yourself, Castle. There is virtually no one else here. It's early morning on a Wednesday. And look at the place."

It was almost deserted. And pretty awesome, with the tree standing so tall, and it was relatively quiet, for New York.

He couldn't help the broad smile that spread from ear to ear. "It's amazing Kate. You're amazing. But, you didn't even bring your skates."

Castle saw the blush on her cheeks, but didn't call her out on it. He'd wished she had brought her bright purple skates, but he could see why she didn't bring them. It would have ruined the surprise.

"Uh, they include the rentals, and if I'd brought them with me it would have spoiled the surprise. Besides, if I had brought them with me, I would have had to bring them into work with me. And as much as I like them, and as much as I like that you love them -"

"Esposito," they finished in unison, laughing. Yes, Espo would definitely keep that in mind for a long time.

After a moment or two, Kate nudged him with her shoulder, "Come on Castle. Let's go, and we'll see if I remember all the things you tried to show me last time we did this."

Oh, he couldn't wait for that. He smiled again and said, "I think I like that plan, Detective. Lead the way."

He followed her out onto the glittering rink, in a world that only contained him and Kate Beckett. And he couldn't imagine being anywhere else.


	9. Stars

_From TNG to Castle and back... those memories are the best. ;) _

* * *

**Stars**

**December 12, 2013**

Castle took in a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. He might have stood a little straighter, too. It was just too cool, being here, on board the Enterprise. The only thing he didn't get was why he was in Engineering, in front of the warp core, instead of on the Bridge. This was the Enterprise-D, and he did have the red uniform of command on, after all. Maybe he was supposed to check on things down here... he really couldn't remember, now that he thought about it.

The sparkle of a force field in one of the doorways caught his attention, and he saw Wesley Crusher and a few other crew members on the other side. They were all looking very pleased, and maybe a little drunk, while the boy played captain.

Oh yeah, he was supposed to try to talk Wesley out of taking the ship hostage. How did Riker do it? Castle tried to think, but all of his thoughts were a jumbled mess.

He turned away, hoping to figure out what was going on, when Kate walked around the corner, looking more sexy than he'd ever seen. Her uniform was black and gray with a skirt and didn't seem quite right, but he couldn't put a finger on why.

"Hey, Stud," she said, her eyes so smoky and maybe there was a little extra sway to her hips as she moved closer. "Don't you want come away with me? Have me in your thoughts?"

When she touched his arm, his skin began to tingle and he felt a shiver, like ripples through water, across his entire body, and then, all that existed was her. And somehow, it was like she was in his mind. He could hear her thoughts. Her sexy, wild-child thoughts, and the blood rushed from his head and went south. "I... I can't," he tried to fight it, knew that he had to do something, and that something not being her, even if that's what he really, really wanted in that moment. "I need to save the ship."

She smiled and shook her head slowly, touching the tip of her finger against his lips, leaving another wave of ripples across his skin. "Ship doesn't need saving. But if you don't wake up, you're going to miss all the fun." Her eyebrows quirked upward, and with a smile, she said, "And I've got hot chocolate."

"But..." Castle was so confused. Wake up? "But..." Wait. This was the episode where everyone on the Enterprise was drunk. And Kate just infected him. No wonder his thoughts suddenly were so crazy. "We're drunk. Gotta get to Sickbay." He started to walk past her, and she shook him hard.

"Castle, Wake UP." Kate demanded, obviously not amused in the least. She grabbed him by the arm and as she turned, flipped him over her shoulder, making him land hard on the floor. "I will throw a bucket of ice on you if you don't wake up."

Castle sat straight up in bed, his eyes wide open. "Apples!" he gasped, then, blinked a few times before he rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand and looked at the clock. The number didn't make sense. They looked more like Klingon symbols and it was really quite dark in his room. "Wait. What time is it?"

Kate gave him a sly smirk, then threw something heavy onto his lap. "It's time to get dressed."

Finally, the numbers began to make sense. "Eleven thirty? We've only been asleep two hours! What is going on?"

She shook her head from side to side, "Get dressed, and you might find out."

All Castle could do was stare at her and try to figure this situation out.

"Castle?" Kate asked, "Are you all right? Do you need help?"

He stared a moment longer, actually missing that her thoughts weren't mixed in with his. And... he didn't need to tell her that. None of it, actually.

"I'm fine, just... weird dreams." He grabbed whatever it was she'd tossed on him and turned his thumb toward the bathroom. "I'll get dressed."

"Good," she said, looking more than a little concerned, but then, she seemed to let it go as he got out of bed and left the room.

When Castle closed the door, he looked at the stack of clothing Kate had given him. It was denim jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and the leather chaps she'd given him last year.

He started pulling the clothes on and asked through the door, "We going out on the bike?"

Kate's amusement wasn't lost in her voice. "Yeah, I thought tonight would be kinda cool. By the way, your boots and jacket are still in here."

Oh yeah. He needed socks as well. Castle walked over to the sink and turned the cold tap on. Using both hands, he splashed the near-freezing water on his face and cupped it over his head as well. It certainly helped him feel more awake.

He grabbed a towel and dried his face and hair, then stood in front of the mirror to tame the beast on his head before going back into his bedroom. "So what is the plan tonight?"

Kate smiled and took his hands in hers. He could feel the slight stiffness of a folded piece of paper in her right hand. Castle took it and unfolded, reading her neat script.

"Stars?" he asked, then thought about it for a moment. Kate seemed to be giving him time to figure it out. Then, it hit him, "The meteor shower?"

She nodded and took his hands once more. "Come on, we have about an hour or so ride before we get to see it."

He followed her into the kitchen where she picked up a thermos off the cabinet. "Hot chocolate?" he asked.

Kate stopped and watched him for a second before she asked, "You actually heard that part?"

Castle couldn't find the words. Obviously, she had been talking to him longer than what was incorporated into his dream. "Um... Was... was there more?"

"I don't know," she hedged, "Did you save the ship from Wesley?"

"That, my dear, is privileged information." He narrowed his eyes, and saw the laughter she was desperately trying to hold in. He wasn't about to tell her how the dream ended. It might... give her ideas... "I really need to find a way to stop talking in my sleep."

"But it's so much fun!" She said, then burst into laughter, "Just not as much as the time you had the squirrel with seven tails. THAT was great. I really should have recorded that conversation."

"When did-?" He shook his head. He wasn't offended, not really, and it was funny. He'll have to ask her about that sometime, but not tonight. "No. No, I don't want to know. Let's just go."

He really needed to find some way to get her back.

Kate handed him the thermos, then grabbed their helmets and jackets out of the closet. As she opened the door, she turned toward him and asked, "You coming, Castle?"

At the sound of her voice, he realized he was still standing in the same spot, and was pretty sure he'd never tire of those three words. "Right behind you."

Kate weaved in and out of traffic, apparently finding the quickest way out of the city. Castle just wish she wouldn't turn so quick as to tilt the bike almost to the ground. Well, it may not have been that bad, but it seemed like it from his point of view.

She, obviously, got some kind of thrill out of riding. He could well imagine what wild-child Kate must have been like. In recent months, he had caught a bit of that part of her here and there, just enough to want to know more and more. Still, part of her remained a mystery he will never solve.

Not that it was a big deal. Castle had the rest of their lives together to try to figure it all out. His chest grew warm thinking of how awesome his future looked with Kate by his side.

At some point, they'd finally made it out of the city and passed fewer buildings and houses. The glow of the city lights still blocked out most of the sky, and he knew it would be a while before they got to Kate's destination.

So, he snuggled into her a little more, as best as he could, and enjoyed the ride.

It seemed like no time had passed when Kate pulled off to a roadside park. The stars were brighter here, still somewhat dimmed by the city, but the important thing was that the sky was clear.

Castle stepped off of the bike after Kate. She said, "It won't be quite like last year, but close."

"Last year, we were on our way to pick up a suspect, and we were way farther from New York than we are now." He smiled, and pulled her into his arms, "This year is much better."

Kate held onto him a little different than normal, and he liked it. She held him slightly tighter and kind of snuggled into his chest. He kissed the top of her head just before she broke away to take a blanket out of one of the saddlebags.

"Come on," she said, "It'll be warmer like this."

She began to wrap the blanket around him, then he took over, twirling it over his back and around, taking her back into his arms. "I've got you in my clutches," he said in an attempt to sound like a bad guy from an old cheesy cartoon.

"Do you really think I would let you take me so easily?" Kate asked, and he wasn't sure if she was serious or teasing.

Castle went with teasing. "Well, you've been prett-" Suddenly, he was reminded of how well she could thump. And right in the middle of his chest. He didn't think this part out at all. "Apples! Okay, bad choice of words."

"That's better," said Kate, and she reached up to cradle his face in her palms. He loved it when she did that. "Now, are you going to watch me or the stars?"

Oh. The stars. Yeah.

"That's a hard choice, and a loaded question, if you want an honest answer." He kissed her forehead, "Both are beautiful." He ran his fingers through her hair, and when their eyes met, he remembered this was her time. "But, this is your event... what did you have in mind?"

Kate smiled and the stars dimmed. "Whatever the universe has in store for us."

"Well, I can't argue with that," Castle said, and he held her close when she snuggled into him again. It felt wonderful, but he couldn't help but ask, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Her voice was muffled between him and the blanket. He felt Kate take a deep breath before she moved back to speak.

"When we first got together, I never knew I could love anyone like I love you. And then, it's like it keeps growing. Each day, Cas - _Rick_ - I love you a little more. And tonight, it seems almost overwhelming. It's like everything about us is so much bigger than just the two of us." She sighed, "That probably sounds weird-"

"But it makes sense," he finished. He understood completely. Every word, and there were really no words, because Kate had said it perfectly. She nodded and laid her head against him again, and he held on like he'd never held on to her before.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when Kate pulled away. He could see the question in her eyes, however, he was pretty sure she could see the tears in his.

Kate smiled slowly and wiped the tear that just escaped from the corner of his eye. "Home?" she asked.

He nodded and kissed her. "Take me home, Kate Beckett," he whispered with a smile.

The look she gave him almost made him lose the ability to remain upright. "Then let's go."

Castle followed Kate to the bike, and then she turned to him and said, "You wanna drive?"

"Really?" he asked. He'd driven the bike a few times, but mostly after he had bothered Kate until she said yes.

"Really."

He took the front seat and helped her onto the back, and soon, they were speeding back to the city. The stars and hot chocolate had been forgotten, but it really didn't matter.

After a while, Castle felt Kate press closer to him and her hands started to wander. It didn't take a genius to figure out why she wanted him to take the lead.

This was destined to be the longest, but probably the best, (albeit most challenging) trip home ever. And he was going to love every moment of it.


	10. Peppermint

**A/N: ** Once again, shameless shout-out for my bestie, **l****ms2457**, and her fic, **The Season Comes 'Round Again - Beckett**, written in Kate's POV**.**

_Thanks for today.  
_

* * *

**Peppermint**

**December 13, 2013**

Their week had been very full and eventful, so Castle, after making sure Kate didn't have anything else planned, took tonight to be his. It wasn't going to be anything fancy, nothing loud, but something he knew would be 'them.'

He had spend a good part of the day writing, taking the advantage to sleep in first, while Kate returned to the working world. And thankfully, he was nearing the end of Nikki and Rook's latest adventure. He really enjoyed productive days like this. Especially the winding-down part. He loved that.

Kate had called before lunch to let him know there had been a body drop and she would probably be a few hours late coming home. He was fine with that - it gave him the perfect opportunity to do something he had wanted to do for a while.

It was now six, and Castle had already gone to the store and picked up everything they would need. As he set the things on the kitchen island, he sent her a text.

_"Do you know what time you will be in?"_

Her reply was almost instant.

_"Probably between eight and nine. The boys and I ordered take-out, so you don't have to cook."_

That was awesome news, actually. It meant his plans could start as soon as she walked in the door.

_"Awesome, just let me know when you leave,"_ he sent, then another text that said, "_Peppermint."_

_"Jumping in again, I see. Thanks - I look forward to it,"_ said her reply.

She really had no idea.

A couple of hours later, Castle received a text from Kate saying she was on her way. Happily, he rubbed his hands together and finished getting everything together for the evening he had in mind.

Earlier in the day, he had set up candles all around the dining area and on the table, so he went out to light them, re-arranging a few as he did so. Then, he took one of the dining chairs and angled it toward the windows just so she'd have the perfect view of the city. He also gathered a couple of towels, massage lotion, and a medium-sized tub to set to the side of the chair.

Castle checked his watch and knew it wouldn't be terribly long before Kate would be home. There were a few things yet to do, but they could wait until she arrived. He turned off the lights and let his eyes adjust to the low, flickering light of the candles.

It was perfect.

* * *

The water kettle whistled to life, just as Castle heard the lock turn on the door. Kate was home.

"Hi," he said, turning off the heat so he could meet her at the door.

"Hi," she answered, blinking in the low light as he helped with her coat.

Kate dropped her keys in the bowl by the door and set her gun and badge on the closet shelf. She really seemed to be taking her time, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders again.

She finally got her things put away and turned, taking in the scene he had created. Smiling, she said, "This is quite romantic, but I don't see any peppermint..."

"That's coming up," he replied, and took her hands in his. "Follow me."

Kate nodded and let him take her to the chair by the windows. "Have a seat," he said, "and I'll take care of the rest."

The questioning look she gave him was priceless as she took in the set up, but she didn't say a word as she sat down.

Castle immediately went to work taking off her... shoes? Boots? He wasn't actually sure what name to put on the footwear she wore today. And like every other pair she had, they had insanely high heels. He then pulled off her socks as well.

"Relax for a bit while I get the rest together," he said, then went back to the kitchen.

He filled an empty pitcher with water from the tap and grabbed the kettle of hot water before going back to Kate. Then, he poured water from both into the tub and checked to make sure he didn't get it too hot.

Once he was satisfied, he moved the tub closer to Kate. He took her right leg, rolled her pants leg up a few times, then set her foot into the water.

She sighed and laid her head against the back of the chair. "That feels wonderful," she said.

Castle smiled as he did the same with her left. "And this is just the beginning," he said. "Again, just relax and enjoy the view. I'll be right back."

Kate's answer was unintelligible, but he understood.

He went back to the kitchen and set out to make hot chocolate. It took longer than he meant for it to, but it gave Kate longer to unwind and enjoy soaking her feet.

Finally the stuff was made, and Castle poured a mug for Kate. He set it onto a tray and placed two candy canes on top of the mug, forming a heart. Then, carefully, he walked back to her.

For a moment, he thought she might be asleep. She was in almost the same position as when he left, and her breathing was slow and even.

He turned to take the tray back, then she said, "Creepy staring again, Castle."

How did she do that?

"I wasn't staring," he answered as he walked the rest of the way and set the tray beside her. "I was trying to decide if you were awake."

Kate opened her eyes, and they were luminous. He almost got lost in them and forgot what his name was.

"I'm awake," she said, "just relaxing, like you asked."

"Oh yeah, I did say that, didn't I?" Why was he here?

She smiled and took the peppermint canes off of the mug. "So this is the peppermint? In the shape of a heart?"

"Um..." Finally, it was coming back to him. It continually amazed him how she could blank his mind so thoroughly. "Yeah, part of it." He sat on the floor in front of her feet. "If you're ready, I can start on the other part."

Kate opened one of the candy canes and stirred it in the hot chocolate. "Sure."

Castle pushed the tub to the side a bit, then took one of the towels and the massage lotion. He held it up to show her, "See? It's peppermint, too, and that's supposed to make it more soothing."

He set the towel in his lap and moved just to her right, dried her foot off, then rested her it in his lap while he squeezed a dollop of the massage lotion onto his hand. The minty scent of the lotion lifted into the air as he began rubbing it onto her foot, working out the knots in her arch.

Her hand shook a little as she set the mug back down.

"Are you all right, Kate?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "You seem more tired than usual."

She had laid her head back again, but lifted up so to look at him. Her eyes were so tired, and there was something else in there, something almost familiar. He was glad there wasn't anything else going on tonight, so he could concentrate on just her.

"This case..." she started, then fiddled with the holly bracelet on her wrist. It was like she was using it as a guide. "It hit close to home."

"Want to talk about it?" he offered, still massaging her foot and toes, but slowly making his way to her ankle.

"Not really," she answered, then met his eyes, "but I should."

He nodded, seeing the tears starting to collect in her eyes. "I'm here, and we've got all the time you need," he said with a smile. "As long as you don't mind that my hands are going to smell like peppermint for at least the next few hours after I'm finished."

Kate laughed a little and wiped away a tear that escaped. "I'll keep that in mind." She took another sip from her hot chocolate and leaned back again.

Castle wiped his hands off and rolled her pants leg up to her knee. He got more of the lotion and began massaging her calf. Kate's eyes rolled back as she closed them and moaned, "That feels so, so, good. How did you know...?"

"I didn't," he admitted, "I just know that we've been busy, and I thought a quiet night would be nice."

She nodded, "You're right, it is."

Kate got quiet again, and as much as he wanted to ask about the case, he kept it in. He knew she would tell him when she was ready, and he could be patient. He finally finished with her right leg and moved on to her left, going in the same order as before.

"A fifteen-year-old girl lost her mother today," she said, totally out of the blue, and with a slight crack to her voice.

It made a lot of sense. Of course she would be worked up over that, knowing she was almost the same age when her mother was killed. Castle continued working on her left foot, waiting on her to continue.

"I had to make the call... the victim was a single mother, the dad took off years ago, and no one knows where he is." She took a breath, then continued, "We found an aunt and uncle that lives on a farm in Texas, so she's got family. It's just she's lived here all her life, and now, on top of losing another parent, has to re-adjust to life in a totally different environment."

"What about the mother?" he asked, "Have you found her killer?"

"We have a suspect in custody. All the clues point to him, and we actually have a witness, so it should be an open-and-shut case."

"So it sounds like you've got justice for the victim," he offered, still massaging the smooth skin of her foot and ankle. His statement probably sounded really weak to Kate, but it was true.

She sighed. Then, after a moment, pulled her foot from Castle and reached for him. He moved up to his knees and she pulled him into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess we did," she whispered.

"It's just so unfair. It's supposed to be the happiest time of the year, and this girl... I have a good idea how this season and the coming years will be for her-"

"But she's younger," he interrupted, hoping to bring Kate around, "and she's going to a place away from the bad reminders, where she'll be loved, with family."

He rubbed her back a few times, then realized he was probably getting lotion all over her shirt. He made a note to send it to the cleaners later.

"She'll find a way, we all do," he finished. It hurt to see her like this.

Kate snuggled into him. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice muffled. "I did talk with her, told her my story. She has my number, and I told her to call me if she ever needed to talk. The aunt and uncle, too, when I called them."

He smiled, knowing what she did was one of the kindest things she could. He loved that she wanted to do so much more, even after her job was finished, because she'd been there. She'd been there, but alone and without anyone's help.

"Then, you've done more than your job. Like always," he said.

After a while, Castle felt her weight shift against him, and he was pretty sure she had fallen asleep. He moved, trying not to wake her, so to take her legs in one arm, her shoulders in the other, then lifted her up. Her arms immediately curled around his neck.

He looked down at her, seeing her eyes were closed. He kissed her forehead and walked through the loft, taking her to bed.

The evening didn't exactly go as he planned, but he was glad she told him what happened. It felt good, the way she talked to him, even though it was difficult for her.

And to hear how she handled things with the girl... it only gave him more proof to him how extraordinary she was.


End file.
